Coby White, Butler and the 'Zombie Heat,' Fontecchio Are All Here to Stay

Every time Michael Porter Jr. throws a pass, any pass, someone will make a tired joke. In some ways, the Denver Nuggets have become a team that slogs through idiotic narratives disguised as humor and analysis.

“Nikola Jokic isn’t in shape.”

“Jamal Murray can’t play well against bad teams.”

“MPJ can’t pass.”

Denver is, in that way, a survivor of the dumb and loud, of the worst of NBA Twitter. Before them, it was “Run and Dunk Man,” who dispelled the memes with a title. Before him, it was Dwight Howard for his joking demeanor, which distracted people from his level as the only deserving All-NBA center in an era that required three each year.

Ultimately, it was a championship that saved the Nuggets, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, from the jokes, while Howard’s ring came far too late to be of note in legacy talks.

That’s what confuses me about the Porter Jr. conversation. This is someone that had multiple career threatening injuries before even being drafted. He shot himself out of Head Coach Michael Malone’s rotation so regularly in his first few years that an over-the-hill Will Barton was getting starts. He was continually included in worst contract drafts on The Ringer podcasts after claiming a max contract in the wake of a bubble run saw him go full supernova on the Nuggets’ path to their first Western Conference finals of this record.

There is no player that demonstrates the Nuggets’ culture or buy in in the way that Porter Jr. does. He was paid a little too early and responded to that by becoming a player worth that contract. Once it became necessary for MPJ to become a different type of player for Denver to reach the playoff mountaintop, he did so. He became a more grinding defender, continued to improve his ability to spot up and move off ball, and, yes, found a more willing attitude towards passing.

My point is, this whole thing is built on buy-in and adaptability.

This isn’t fully a section of In the Loopus yet, nor is it the type of intro I usually go for, but it is an admission on my part. My finger is healed, and yet, I am struggling to reintegrate into the NBA rotation of writing this type of thing.

So, like MPJ, I’m going to work my way back in. I am taking responsibility, I am looking forward, and I am getting to work. And as my fellow members of the Washington Heights/Inwood basketball league can attest to, whenever I miss a bad shot, I am going to keep passing until I make up for it. I hope I can make up for it, maybe not this week, but certainly soon.

Let’s get to it.

COBY!

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White has remade himself in a way that very few young players do when a disappointing start to their NBA career is threatening to become their long-term identity. What before was clearly a low volume shot creator off the bench, a Jordan Clarkson type player has blossomed this year into what I can only describe as the Silver the Hedgehog boss fight from Sonic ‘06. It is simply no use trying to stop Coby.

He is one of plenty of players making over 38% of his shots from distance on over four attempts per game, but the way he’s doing it is insane. The degree of difficulty reminds me of only a few players. These shots bring back thoughts of a young Damian Lillard; the Dame that still had the absurd blend of speed and athleticism that meant attacking above the rim was a possibility. Coby doesn’t go over people, but, as it was for Lillard, the free throw attempt improvement has unlocked the rest of the court. Additionally, instead of being played as a combo guard, he’s seeing over 80% of his time on the court at the point, a return to the position he starred in at North Carolina.

White has to be the leader for most improved player right now, even with this insane jump that Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson has taken and credit given to Houston Rockets center Alperen Şengün. The Bulls, who seemed to have the worst future in the NBA just a few months ago — as a result of some awful trades in pursuit of competitiveness and seeing their highest paid player take an elective surgery — finally have something to look forward to.

We’ve come a long way from the Lonzo Ball Bulls. That was a wonderful few months near the top of the Eastern Conference in Chicago, but sadly only a flash in the pan. Those months make it so hard to think of the word “future” when it comes to the Bulls. The pursuit of Lonzo had lasted years, and his tenure on court was cut so short when it happened. What good is a future to build to when, within an instant, it evaporates?

Maybe that’s why the Bulls have held onto DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, Nikola Vucevic and whoever else could make the list. Chicago has about six players on the roster who could be a quality rotation piece on a playoff team. Caruso, White, Derozan, Drummond, and Dosumnu all play hard, do the right things, and seemingly love each other. The rest of the roster is an all you can eat of uncooked or overcooked in terms of NBA experience.

My question is this: with the rise of White, will the Bulls look to reset? This is no longer about treading water, but about setting up the Coby White era for success. Optimism has been hard to come by since 2018, or 2011 if you want to look back on the ACL tear that ruined the only realistic chance the Bulls have had at a deep playoff run since 23 built the whole franchise’s legacy.

This is not about a teardown to return to sadness, but one to maintain joy. I wonder what Chicago chooses: the flame that burns fast, or the one that stays alit for years.

*Elton John Voice* J-J-J-Jimmy and the Heat

Bill Simmons regularly talks about the “zombie Heat,” the team that, even through regular season disappearances and the doldrums of November, does not die. Well folks, it’s happening again.

I have not discussed the Miami Heat very much on In the Loopus. There have been moments for impressive rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. There was a quick check in about Scary Terry. There was a wonderfully well timed dive into Duncan Robinson’s on-ball creation leap, which has continued and catapulted him into the top-three of my (unwarranted) most improved player ballot. As is, the Heat have remained a topic for a rainy day. But, now, there’s no probing curiosity.

The Heat are Pandora’s box. Every year, the evils go away and the hope that their run of strength is over. Then, as we hit the end of February, the ornate prism is thrown open, and out come the souls that Pat Riley has sacrificed for the past 30 years, and with them, the gripping fear that the Heat will make another run through the playoffs.

As mentioned, Robinson has become a real creator on ball, which has unlocked a return to shooting form. Jimmy Butler has done what he has done every year in Miami and has once again become an MVP-level player for months at a time. Triple J has bounced back after a short slump that had his “Muse” account rebranding.

After a seven-game losing streak in the back half of January, Miami is 11-6 since then. It simply doesn’t stop. Patty Mills, after years of being nothing but a bench mob dunk reactor, has immediately become the sharpshooter of old. I have no clue how this keeps happening. I have no clue how to stop it. This is simply your reminder that there are only three constants in the NBA: death (of the mid-range), (luxury) taxes, and the Heat thriving off of fighting Goliaths.

Simone Fontecchio is the Savior of Detroit

Look, let’s not beat around the bush here. The Detroit Pistons have not been a good team this year. Shocking, I know.

There was a point when I had to vow off talking about the Pistons when they lost every game in a row for over 25% of the season. People were calling for the NBA to step in. The jokes were flying.

For these reasons, it made sense when General Manager Troy Weaver completely restructured a roster that he might not be in charge of at the end of the year. There was the sending of Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers to the Washington Wizards, which was a necessary, albeit wasteful trade. Then, as the deadline came, it became clear that the Pistons would be shipping out so many players that they’d have a playoff rotation to waive. Now, none of those players would be playoff caliber, but there was a point during the deadline when Detroit had almost 25 players on the roster.

They made so many moves, in fact, that their best one was the one that got the least attention. I called it “the first clear win-win trade of the deadline.”

A flamethrower from deep. The hair. The name. The life changing impact.

We need to talk about Simone “The Radiator” Fontecchio.

Fontecchio has been everything the Pistons were praying Bojan Bogdanovic could be. He’s been the ultimate complement to Detroit’s core and has completely unlocked the lineup that should be starting every night in the Motor City. Most notably, he is what the Pistons have lacked all year: a role player who is excelling in their role.

The five man lineup of Cade Cunningham - Jaden Ivey - Fonte - Ausar Thompson - Jalen Duren has played the second most minutes for the Pistons since the All-Star break. They have a defensive rating of 106.5, which would be among the league’s best. They have a net rating of +3.8, which is the best net rating of any five-man Pistons grouping that has played more than 30 minutes together in the same time frame.

Most notably, it’s been fun to see how Fontecchio has hastened the growth of Ausar Thompson, and increased the spacing around Cunningham. The pairing of Simone and Cade is the best net rating duo since the recess that includes only current Pistons. Replacing Cade with Ausar puts them at #2. For the Fonte - Cunningham grouping, the shooting spaces out the paint that allows Cade to navigate the half court with less pressure. For Ausar’s grouping, the spacing takes Thompson out of the corner and returns him to the roaming role on defense and Fontecchio survives on the outside.

Ultimately, Head Coach Monty Williams completely ignores this in favor of his all bench lineups and his one note love of James Wiseman, but the rotation is so simple now. Isaiah Stewart should replace Wiseman as the full-time backup center. Fontecchio should play with the starters. Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser are an excellent pairing of bench guards.

This team did not have a talent deficiency, but now they have a web of complements folding out from their core four. This is a roster that has promise, which is reflected in their improved record. Simone Fontecchio is only a part of that, but his impact has been the greatest and most noticeable.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Western Conference Check-In (Welcome to the Play-In Pit)

The Western Conference has separated into three layers.

The top of the West has changed very little since we last talked. This has continued to be a bloodbath between the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers are slowly falling out of the race for the top seed, but that quartet is inevitably locked in as the home-court, barring a complete fall off from Minnesota if their injury problems continue to mount up.

Beyond the summit, we see a massive playoff race. The fifth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans are only 5.5 games ahead of the 10th-seeded Golden State Warriors. Between them, the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to avoid the play-in, but with less than 20 odd games left, there are only two seeds for six teams. The Pelicans are one of the better bets, winning their last four straight and hitting their stride at the right time, so that may leave one singular spot for five teams north of the Play-In Tournament line.

Behind them, the Rockets have fallen off from their impressive start and have joined the Jazz among the tankers of the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, and Portland Trail Blazers.

It’s funny how clear the tiers of teams are in the West, but that doesn’t take away from how much the conference has dominated their Western counterpart. The West is 193-151 against the East. Only the Houston Rockets, Spurs, Blazers, and Grizzlies have an under-500 record against the East.

Story Pups

Hawks Disappointment, Changes Coming - It’s been fascinating to see how consistently the Atlanta Hawks have toed the line of staying exactly at 500. It seems that the rebuild that started with Dennis Schröder and John Collins will now need a retool. We’re already hearing rumors of Trae Young being moved, potentially as the point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio. DeAndre Hunter has had his reputation go from “quality 3-and-D wing” to “terrible contract.” Clint Capela is already on the verge of being relegated in favor of Onyeka Okungwu. Dejounte Murray was the most rumored player to not be moved at the trade deadline last month.

The whole roster is in flux, with the exception of Most Improved Player finalist Jalen Johnson, who is a supplementary piece. I just badly want to see how they handle the offseason because there is no realistic way this team returns again.

I have no clue what to say about the Rockets - The Rockets are a weird team to talk about. The defense that had them so far ahead of schedule at the start of the year has vanished. Jalen Green is still a questionable impact as a core player (despite the fact that he’s currently experiencing the best stretch of he’s career). The roster is missing important elements.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, their draft class is proving to be as excellent on the court as it was in draft grades. Amen Thompson is already a top five defensive and rebounding guard in the NBA. Cam Whitmore should be starting sooner rather than later. Şengün has finally taken the leap and has cemented himself as the best player on the roster.

The confusion comes from this contrast. The season has been a tale of two opposites. It has been simultaneously promising and disappointing. It has answered questions and revealed new ones. It’s hard to truly understand this year for Houston.

Cavalanche: Wings of Glory - I spoke about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ streak while it was happening many times, but what we failed to mention was how the wing rotation has come together. The star evidence of this question came after the Cavs’ 22-point fourth quarter win against the Boston Celtics, in which Dean Wade took over the entire fourth quarter. Before that, it was Max Strus doing his best Reggie Miller impression to break the Mavs’ season.

This guy puts it best:

Vasa Micić is Worth Watching - I make a rule of talking about the morally bankrupt Charlotte Hornets only as often as I must, which has left them absent from In the Loopus throughout most of the season, but oh my god, you guys need to watch Vasa Micić. This is what I thought Milos Teodosic would be for the Clippers. I am absolutely entranced by watching him play.

I want to see Ousmane Dieng play - I loved Dieng as a long term project. I was excited when I saw him play this preseason. He cannot possibly be worse than Josh Giddey. Just give the kid some run.

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Hero of the Week: D’Angelo Russell

Wolves fans may not like this, but I’ll let Harrison Faigen explain this one, and simply add this below:

What a quote, man. What an excellent quote. We are reaching Doc Rivers levels of quotes from Russell, as he turns a hot streak into an online movement. It’s always funny to watch, but the concept of “I am here because of the public humiliation by NBA Twitter” is one that would have turned so many players into superstars. Comment sections are the best pre-workout guys!

Read of the Week: Mind Game, Julie Kliegman

This will not be a regular part of In the Loopus, but...

A few years ago, during the 2020 draft, I called Tyrell Terry the steal of the draft. The Minnesota native had many fans on draft twitter and it was his film at Stanford that got him taken with the 31st pick of the draft. He went to Dallas to be a guard in the rotation, along with Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson.

However, his career did not flourish. In fact, just a few years later, after a stint with the Grizzlies, Tyrell Terry walked away from basketball all together. Julie Kliegman wrote the story about Terry’s decision, and is an expert in the field of the mental health of players.

Her new book, “Mind Game”, is necessary reading for anyone who has ever been interested in the players as human beings (that should be all of you). I believe my copy was stolen from my mail room, but I am so excited for this book that I will be buying a second copy. I would recommend you all do the same.

Fans rarely get a real intimate view at the way their fandom can be corrosive to the players they love so much. This is an opportunity for that. Any humanity we can add back into the NBA to escape the sterilization of people as products is worth it.

I’ll see you guys next week.